Abstract:We analyze the cost
of curtailing the active power output of a wind farm to provide secondary
frequency regulation capacity. We calculate the regulation capacity available
and its cost by simulating the active power output of a curtailed 100-MW wind
farm with a hybrid of real speed data and simulated high-frequency turbulence.
We find that a curtailed wind farm can provide secondary frequency regulation
capacity at a cost lower than conventional generators in less than 1% of the
1440 1-hour periods studied. Although the operating cost of curtailing a wind
farm for frequency regulation capacity is high, the capital cost of installing
the hardware and software to enable curtailment for frequency regulation is low.
For that reason, we suggest that it is reasonable that grid operators require
wind farms to have the capability to curtail for frequency regulation, but we
recommend that capability should be rarely used.

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